Page 82 of A Love Like Venom

At the mention of his name, her brother rises from the couch and walks over to us. Standing besides his sister he's taller than her. He's only eleven and he still has so much growing yet to do. He's already taller than Grace, which isn't hard to do but still.

He's a sweet kid with chubby cheeks full of baby fat but a lanky body. You can tell he's still growing into himself. With kind blue eyes the same as his sister's he stares at her with brotherly affection. "I heard my name," he softly says.

She smiles up at him. This is the sibling bond that I was denied. And I envy her for it. I hope that she never takes it for granted. The way she talks about him and how much she cares I don't see that ever happening. Everything she does she does for him.

"All is good, champ. Just telling Alice how awesome you are."

His face goes beet red. "Really?"

"Really," I answer for Grace. "I think you're more awesome than us." I smile at him. His face turns even redder.

"No way, Grace is ten times more awesome than me. She's the best," he gushes.

Grace shakes her head. "Not true, Connor and you know it. What do I always say?"

Embarrassed he replies, "I don't want to."

She nudges him. "Come on, what do I always say?"

"That I'm the best thing that happened to you," he answers shyly, ducking his head.

"Exactly so how can I be more awesome than you if you're the greatest thing to happen in my life?"

"Because you're the greatest thing in my life, duh."

They really are the sweetest with each other.

God, seeing them two warms my heart and makes me yearn for something I never had.

Ruffling his hair she concedes, "Okay we are both equally awesome. Now thank Alice for letting you watch your cartoons because we have to say goodbye now."

He pouts, folding his arms across his chest. "Do we really have to leave?"

"Yeah, champ. Alice needs her rest, and it is way past your bedtime. So, what do we say?"

Turning to me he then says, "Thank you, Alice for letting me watch TV. I hope to see you again soon."

"Anytime, Connor. Now give me a hug." Not a second later he leaves his sister's side and gives me a tight squeeze. When I let him go, he returns to Grace. She hands him her keys and tells him to start the car for her and he happily obliges.

Wrapping her arms around me she whispers in my ear, "You're going to be okay."

"How are you so sure?" I whisper back.

Pulling back, she looks me in the eyes. "Because you're so god damned resilient, Alice. You've endured far too much to give up now. And I don't think Snake would let anything happen to you."

My brows draw together as my lips purse. "What makes you say that?"

"He killed a man for you. And when he was searching for you earlier tonight, he was ready to kill for you all over again. I'm not saying what he did to you was right because it wasn’t, but the world isn't so black and white," she shares with me, spreading more of her young wisdom.

"Perhaps you're right. I don't know if I can forgive him just yet."

"And that's perfectly fine. I don't expect you to. He shouldn't even be expecting you to. When the time is right you do need to talk to him. You both need to be honest with each other. That means you finally telling him how you really feel, Alice. All of it, from the day you guys met, when he left and when he returned. He needs to do the same."

She's right of course but how do I tell him that I have always been in love with him? How do I tell him that seeing him with my sister broke my heart in a million pieces? That him leaving nearly shattered me. How seeing him again gave me hope only to be let down by seeing how much he hated me.

How do I look him in the eyes and tell him that a small part of me hates him, but I will always love him?

"I will. Soon," I promise her.

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